Boxoffice-May.21.1979

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Opinions on Current Productions ^EATUkE REVIEWS
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LAST EMBRACE
United Artists (79061) 102 Minutes
m
Suspen
Rel. May '79
Released through United Artists, this involved suspenser
is the first production from a pair of former U. A
executives, Michael Taylor and Dan Wigutow. At least
half of it is an extremely good thr-iller, the rest ranging
from bewildering to satisfactory. Roy Scheider and Janet
Margolin, while not powerhouse names, are both good
in their- assigmnents as a government agent marked for
death and a young woman who is not what she seems.
The titles by Pablo Perro drift all over the screen, as does
the plot until the twists and tui-ns become clear. Director
Jonathan Demme concentrates on technique in the fu-st
half and plot and characterization thereafter. Based on
Murray Teigh Bloom's novel, "The 13th Man," David
Shabei-'s screenplay contains some deliberately familiar
lines which any audience could anticipate, just to make
the surprises even more effective. There is good support
from Sam Levene, John Glover and cameo players Marcia
Rodd and Oscar winner ifor "The Deer Hunter") Christopher
Walken. The lush Panavision-Technicolor photography
of Tak Fujimoto around New York City and Niagi-a
Falls and the neat Miklos Rosza score help considerably.
The R rating is for a few topless scenes.—John
Cocchi.
Roy Scheider, Janet Margolin, John Glover, Sam Levene,
Charles Napier, Christopher Walken, Marcia Rodd.
ISEWSFRO^T PG "'1--'-=-
New Yorker Films 110 Minutes Rel. June '79
If Australia has made an indelible mark on the American
consciousness via its recent films, then "Newsfront"
should help to solidify that impression. Hailed at the
iy8 Cannes and New York Film Festivals, the New
Yorker Films release presents the history of the newsreel
in AustraUa from its heyday in 1948 until the waning
days of 1956, while reflecting the political and social
climate of the country dmlng those years. Done in equal
parts of color and black and white, the David Elfick production
is the initial theatrical featm-e of director PhilUp
Noyce, 28-year-old documentarian. His recreation of the
newsreel scene reflects a great feeling for the subject and
the country itself. Noyce's screenplay, based on an original
screenplay by Bob ElUs and a concept by Phillipe
Mora and Elfick, loses some of its impact in the latter
half when the characters become more concerned with
pm-suing their- personal relationships than with captm-ing
history on film. Female lead Wendy Hughes is
very good in a cast of polished ana natural-seeming players
A Village Roadshow and Palm Beach Pictui-es coproduction,
in association with New South Wales Fihn
Corp. and AustraUan FUm Commission.-^ohn Cocchi.
Bill Hunter, Wendy Hughes, Gerard Kennedy, Angela
Punch, Chris Haywood, John Ewart, John Dease.
WIISDS OF CHANGE
Sanrio
82 Minutes
PG
Comedy-Drama
Rel. July '79
It's thi-ee times and out for Sam'io's valiant effort to
bring Ovid's stories to the screen as an animated featm-e.
"Winds of Change" is a di-astic reworking of its predecessor,
"Metamorphoses," after it failed to click. This tmie
around the weaknesses are about the same. Overall, the
film fails to gi-ab the viewer. The disco beat, replacing the
former soundtrack of rock and folk music, is out of place
as backgiound for classic stories about the origins of the
world. This time animator Takashi's central character
is a cute boy named Wondermaker, who plays five different
characters in the series of five stories based on Ovid's
myths. But he lacks that certain something that pulls
the viewer into any kind of personal involvement. Peter
Ustinov reads a narration written by Norman Corwin, and
between the two of them a level of quality is achieved.
The effort to keep things light, however, stretches a bit
far at times, as Wondermaker is described at one point
as a "nogoodnik" and Ustinov later observes, "Pretty good
mountain climbing for a kid." For the most part, the proceedings
parallel Ustinov's description of a wUd boar's
ferocity; "a crashing bore." Casablanca Records has
tui-ned out the soundtrack album of the disco-rock score
by composer Alec R. Costandino. Pattie Brooks sings "Red
Hot River of Fire" and Ai-thui- Simms performs vocals on
four songs.—Ralph Kaminsky.
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THE IKENCH DETECTIVE E„,i,sh itie
Quartet Films 93 Minutes Rel. Apr. '79
With an uninspired title as a handicap, this Fi-ench import,
a 1975 Em-opean release, should overcome any resistance
to its success here. Reviews have been extremely
good so far and the pic is filled with enough action, comedy
and incident to please action fans as well as regular patrons.
There are three good actors in the leads. sUrting
with popular Lino Ventui-a, a man of authority even in
i
repose, and backed up by Patrick Places') Dewaere
as a kooky cop and Victor Lanoux (male lead in
"Cousin Cousine") portraying a nasty politician. Credibility
is strained by the power which Lanoux, a city councilman,
wields and by his hold on that power even when
a member of his goon squad is revealed to be a cop killer.
Other than that, director Pierre Granier-Deferre never
lets the pace slacken long enough for the audience to determine
whether or not things add up. Francis Veber s
screenplay was based on the novel by Jean Laborde. Many
familiar faces dot the support, starting with Fi-ancoise
Brion as a madame with connections and including Valerie
Maii-esse ("One Sings, the Other Doesn't"). The Ba.sil
Film presentation was produced by Les Films Ariane and
Mondex Films, with Panavision equipment and color.
Music is by Philippe Sarde.—John Cocchi.
Lino Ventura, Patrick Dewaere, Victor Lanoux, Francoise
Brion, Julien Guiomar, Jacques Rispal, Claude Rich.
TERESA THE THIEF
En,nsh"T,tieTa,fd"%r=;.
World Northal 111 Minutes Rel. May '79
Biographical comedy-dr-ama with political and social
overtones is the most apt description of this show-case for
Monica Vitti. Deglamorized. disheveled and ultimately
old. the actress gives one of the best bittersweet performances
of her career. The Euro International Films presentation,
produced bv Giovamii Bertollucci. is the dii-ectorial
debut of longtii-ne cinematographer Carlo Di Palma.
who concentrates more on plot detail than pictorial composition.
It was based on Dacia Marami's best-seller,
"Memoirs of a Thief," telling of the career of Teresa
Numa, who assisted on the film. Screenplay by Age, Scarpelli
and Maraini is episodic, with many dramatic elements
and quite a bit of repetition as Vitti travels from
town to town and from job to jail. The star is at all times
the center of attention in spite of a large and energetic
cast a tribute to her characterization. One of the fewindulgent
scenes is a very funny bit introducing Michele
Placido as someone out of a cigarette commercial. Music
by Riz Ortolani is unobtrusive, while smooth Technicolor
cinematography is by Dario Di Palma. The import has
English titles and narration by Vitti. Although the emphasis
is on earthiness. there is much here about the human
spirit which is touching.—John Cocchi.
Monica Vitti, Stefano Satta Flores. Isa Danieli. Carlo
Delle Diane, Michele Placido, Valeriano Vallone.
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BOXOFFICE BookinGuide :: May 21. 1979 5115